Your management's go to launch the organization of your next corporate event has just fallen. You've been waiting for it for months. Delighted, you have lots of ideas in mind and can already imagine the smile of your guests on the big day.

Yes but lo and behold, this is the first time that you have been entrusted with the organization of such an event and the responsibility is heavy. You need to please all the guests, stick to the budget you were given, and prove to your management that you are capable of carrying out this project successfully.

Regardless, you're feeling up for it. This project is yours and you will carry it out by yourself! Before you start, here are 5 things you need to know if you want to do everything by yourself.

Organizing an event is time consuming ⌛

If you think that it is enough to make a few phone calls and send an invitation to your collaborators, you are far from the truth. Organizing a corporate event takes time and requires going through a lot of steps, starting with the precise definition of your needs.

Between the search for a suitable location, the choice of the caterer, the follow-up of the service providers, the follow-up of the service providers, the logistics to be put in place, the measures to be respected in order to be in good standing, the decorations to be carried out, the estimates and invoices to be transferred internally, or even the production of the D-day, be prepared to spend several days or weeks on your event, not to mention the unforeseen events that always extend the deadlines.

Organizing a complex event requires experience 💎

When you participate in an event, you don't realize the complexity of it. When you go to the other side of the table, you quickly realize that it's not all that easy.

Organizing a complex event that brings together many service providers requires real organization. Nothing should be left to chance to avoid unpleasant surprises on D-Day. And that can only be learned on the ground.

If you are new to organizing events, surround yourself with experienced people who can advise you. You will thus be able to avoid classic beginner mistakes: location that increases no-shows, a place that is too cramped or too big, lack of diversity in terms of cocktails, etc.

Organizing an event that will leave a lasting impression requires creativity 💡

Bringing people together for a drink is one thing, creating a memorable corporate event is another. If you have set yourself the goal of creating the event of the year, you will have to be creative!

Forget the sleepless night and the casino night that everyone else already did, and warm up your brains. Surround yourself with several people internally to brainstorm together. Find an original theme, imagine a strong scenography, find unusual places and find innovative animations.

Be careful not to leave in all directions, your event must above all meet an objective: unite your teams, communicate a message to your partners, convey your values or even share your vision. Only you know it and you will have to keep it in mind throughout the project to bring coherence to your event.

Organizing a budgeted event requires rigor 💸

You will quickly realize that organizing an event is expensive. And the bill usually goes up faster than you think.

To respect the budget that was given to you, you will have to Define a level not to be exceeded for each position Of expenditure. If 50% of your budget goes to renting a place, your cocktail may be as thin as your entertainment.

Once again, the best lesson is learned directly in the field. Make phone calls, call different providers, and research market prices.

Also, pay attention to last-minute expenses. The additional hostess, the valet you forgot and the photobooth added to J-1 can quickly make you go into the red. When in doubt, always include a percentage of your budget for unexpected expenses.

Organizing an event will prevent you from taking full advantage of it 😢

You can't be in the oven and mill. When you organize an event, you cannot enjoy it like all of your guests. For you, the event will start much earlier and end much later.

While your guests are busy, you will be calling back this umpteenth late provider. When they enjoy the cocktail, you will be checking that all the technique is ok for the speech that follows. And when they are dancing, you will probably be preparing for the dismantling, or taking a break.

As you will have understood, organizing an event worthy of the name cannot be improvised. It is a complex task that requires a lot of skills. If you are just starting out, consider surrounding yourself or call on an event agency to guarantee the success of your project.